EXPLORING APPROACHES TO TEACHER OBSERVATION ON AN INTENSIVE EAP PRE-SESSIONAL COURSE
INTRODUCTION
This paper reports on a small-scale investigation of participant views to observations on an intensive English for Academic Purposes (EAP) pre- sessional (PS) course in order to gain a better understanding of how effectively our approach was working and where improvements could be made. Observations are common in teacher education as, for example, part of performance evaluation, i.e., quality assurance (QA), or as a tool for facilitating continuing professional development (CPD), i.e., quality enhancement (QE) (Borg, 2018; Maldarez, 2003). In the specific context of this research, they hold a dual role: both as a requirement for BALEAP accreditation (QA) but we also see them as an opportunity for teacher development (QE). This dual focus
raises a number of issues. For example, some teachers see observations as intrusive; for others, previous experiences of observation may cause anxiety (e.g., Cosh, 1999). Pre-sessional course feedback also suggests some teachers see an observation of the same course year on year as a repetitive chore. Practically, observing large numbers of teachers in a short time frame (typically ten weeks) is a challenge. However, while anecdotal evidence suggests a range of perceptions both positive and negative, we had yet to systematically explore these in relation to our PS course. A qualitative approach involving focus groups, visual prompts and thematic analysis was employed to investigate the area. The key themes that emerged and the practical implications and adaptions to our approach arising from this project are presented in this paper.
